William eichaed



(Nq Model.)

w. RICHARD. PRUNING SHEARS. No. 330,737. v I Patented Nov. '17; 1885.

WITNESSES: I V J INVENTOR.

N. PETERS PhctwLRMgnpher, Wnhingmn. DJ;

; UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFIGE.

WILLIAM RICHARD, OF BLOOMVILLE, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO JoHn D. WILSEY,

- 0F SAME PLACE.

PRUNlNG-SH EARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 330,737, dated November 17. 1885.

Application filed April 7. 1885.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM RICHARD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Bloomville, in the county of Seneca and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pruning-Shears; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,

and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which Figures 1 and 2 are side views of my improved pruning-shears from opposite sides. Fig. 3 is a similar view of a modification of the same, and Fig. 4 is a similar view of the shears provided with short handles.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

My invention has relation to pruning-shears; and it consists in the improved construction and combination of parts of a pair of pruningshears for either high or' low trimming, as hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

' In the accompanying drawings, the letter A indicates the concave stationary blade, which is provided with a handle, B, and formed with a semicircular recess or notch, O, in its rear side a short distance below the blade. D is the convex movable blade, which is pivoted at the lower end of the stationary blade upon a bolt, E, which passes through an oblique slot, F, in the upper portion of the oblique shank G of the movable blade, allowing the said blade to swing upon the bolt, and at the same time to slide with its slot upon the same. Said bolt is provided with a friction roller or washer, F, to relieve the friction against the slot in which it works.

The lower end of the shank of the movable blade is pivoted bymeans of a bolt, H, to a round rearwardly-projecting lug or lip, I, upon the upper end of a short curved lever, J, which is pivoted upon a bolt, K, passing through a rounded lip, L, projecting forward from the upper end of the lever, into one end of ashort bar, M, the other end of which bar is pivoted upon the side of the stationary handle at the Serial No. 161,450. (No model.)

semicircular recess, the forwardly-projecting lip L fitting and rocking in the said recess. A rod, N, is hinged to the outer end of the curved lever at its upper end, passes through an oblique perforation, O, in the lower end of the handle, and is hinged at its lower end to the end of a hand-lever, P, pivoted in the lower end of the handle. A rod or wire, Q, is secured at its upper and lower ends to the forward side of the handle, at the upper and lower ends of the latter, and serves to re-enforce the said handle against the strain exerted upon the rear side of the same by drawing the curved lever down when closing the jaws or blades of the shears. The rod N, passing through the oblique perforation in the handle, also serves to bring a portion of the strain caused by closing the blades or jaws together upon the forward side of the handle, distributing the strain upon both sides of the handle.

The blades are opened by lowering the free end of the hand-lever, and they are again brought together by forcing the said lever upward, which causes the connecting rod to draw down upon the curved lever, which will cause the movable jaw to close against the stationary jaw, and at the same time slide downward with its oblique slot upon the bolt E, thus causing the movable jaw to make a combined shear and draw out, and the curved lever being pivoted to the end of the short bar or link M it will be allowed to swing with its fulcrum, while at the same time it will rest at the last portion of the cut, when the jaws are moving close together, with its rounded lip or lug in the semicircular recess, which at that time will form a rigid fulcrum for it.

In Fig. 3 is shown a slight modification of the shears, in which the movable jaw is pivoted with a plain perforation upon the pivotal bolt, while its shank has a slot, in whichthe bolt H, having a friction roller or washer, F, slides, thus depriving the shears of the draw cut, but allowing the curved lever to act upon the shank with increasing leverage toward the end of the out, which is accomplished in the formerly-described form, but in a slightly different manner.

In Fig. 4 the shears are shown provided with short handles, and with the connecting rod and hand-lever removed, the curved lever being operated directly at the handle.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States In a pair of pruningshears, the combina' tion of a stationary blade or jaw having a rounded recess, 0, in its shank at the rear side of the same, a curved lever, J, having rounded lugs I and L upon the forward and rear sides of its upper end, a short bar or link, M, pivoted upon the side of the shank of the stationary blade and pivoted at its outer end to the forwardly-projecting lip L of the curved 1e- WILLIAM RICHARD.

Witnesses: I

OSCAR M. HoLooMB, J. R. WILsoN. 

